1

Object relations as assessed with the Children’s Apperception Test: a

comparative study

Maria Cecilia de Vilhena Moraes

Maria Cristina Lenzi Miori

Mariana Ayumi Hosogiri

ABSTRACT

This study1 aims to explore object relations in children with different clinical

complaints as compared to an equivalent group, reporting no history of psychological

difficulties. Responses given to the CAT by two different groups of children were

analyzed: a control group, comprised of 20 children of both genders, with no clinical

complaints, aged 7.15 years on average; and a clinical group comprised of 14 of both

genders, aged 7.5 years on average, with different clinical complaints. The analysis was

conducted according to the CAT scoring scheme, based on object relations, proposed by

Leila Tardivo (1998). Interrater agreement, verified using Pearson’s correlation

coefficient, reached highly satisfactory levels. Significant differences were found

between the groups, in terms of both the control group’s psychological resources and

the clinical group’s difficulties in object relations. Despite the small-size sample, such

data corroborate the hypothesis of association between positive object relations and

psychological health.

Key words: CAT, child personality; object relations; projective techniques

INTRODUCTION

Psychological assessment has always been one of the main activities of a

psychologist. Since the mid-80s, a growing application of the object relations theories in

the idiographic interpretation of material produced by children and adolescents in

psychological assessment techniques has been observed, particularly in Rorschach’s

1 This study was conducted with PIBIC-CNPq support.

2

Method and in Henry Murray’s Thematic Apperception Test (TAT). To the children’s

clinical psychologist, Kelly (1997) points out, the review of clinical material can help

specify different levels of development disorders, particularly within the moderate to

severe psychopathological spectrum, ultimately, helping the clinician evaluate the data

more accurately.

According to Laplanche (1982), object relation is an

expression used quite often in contemporary psychoanalysis to

designate the manner in which the individual relates with his

world. Such relation is the complex and full outcome of a given

organization of the personality, of an apprehension more or less

phantasmatical of objects and of certain privileged types of

defense. One mentions object relations of a certain individual,

and also types of object relations of a certain individual or in

reference to evolutionary moments (example: oral object

relation), or psychopathology (example: melancholic object

relation). (p. 443)

The objectal relation (or object relation) term is based on the

psychoanalytical reference. Object relations theories are driven to the apprehension of

the most original mechanisms of ego formation, highlighting the decisive relevance of

the early object relations in such process (OGDEN, 2002/2003).

Summers (1994), in his book Object relations theories and

psychopathology: a comprehensive text, following a careful presentation of the different

object relations theories, reached the conclusion that, despite the differences existing

among them, these theories share the common principle that contact is the fundamental

human motivation – unlike the impulse discharge, as proposed by the impulse theories.

To the author, despite Melanie Klein and Otto Kernberg having adopted the theory of

impulses, both understand that the relevance of the latter lies less on their capacity of

discharging tension, than on their role in the formation of the object relations that will

set up the psyche foundations. The author furthermore points out that the object

relations theories, unlike the strictly interpersonal approach, agree that pathological

patterns can be apprehended, illuminated and resolved. Thus, the study of object

relations and the identification of those patterns can help the psychologist to find the

best preventive and interventional measures

for a specific child or group of children at risk of developing psychological

problems.

3

D.W. Winnicott, pediatrician and psychoanalyst, deeply dedicated himself to the

study of object relations, theme of several of his papers. In regard to the time at which

object relations are formed, the author says

when mother and baby reach a settlement within the feeding

situation, the bases of a human relationship are launched. That is

when a child’s pattern of capacity to relate with the objects and

the world is established. (WINNICOTT, 1987, p.55)

Winnicott (idem) points out that this is not just the start of nourishment but also

of the object relation. The individual’s relationship established with the real world will

be based on the way in which his/her relation with the mother begins and gradually

develops. According to the author, the period required for the baby to start the search-

and-find of the object (breast), as well as the time to explore it and, finally, turn it into a

meal, can vary. That which the baby “creates” was already present, and is nothing else

but the mother’s part that was found. It is a fact that, if the mother were not in that

special state that provides the baby with the conditions to be present at the right time

and place, the object would not be found. Therefore, it is pivotal that the mother adapts

herself to the baby’s needs, making it possible for the baby to discover the world in a

creative manner.

Winnicott (1984) emphasizes the relevance of a sufficiently good environment,

i.e., the existence of adequate external conditions for the child’s maturation potentials to

be accomplished. The immature child needs two different and important aspects of care:

the mother-object who fulfills the baby’s urgent needs, and the mother-environment,

figure of active care that protects the baby against the unpredictable. The mother-

environment is the one that receives what can be called affection; the mother-object

appears as a target of the baby’s excited experience, to provide for his/her instinctual

needs. Provided the environment is capable of providing such support for the child to

develop, the child may start a process of integration between the mother-environment

and the mother-object, which will form the base for the baby to develop its involvement

capacity, which is fundamental for the individual’s social life. In favorable conditions,

the mother must remain physically available and exclusively concerned about the baby,

survive the baby’s attacks and remain empathic. Such experience with the mother favors

the development of ego integration, a physical unit restricted by the skin, and a

psychological integration. That is the time when the child is capable of recognizing the

maternal figure as a whole person. Such are the bases for the involvement capacity to

4

develop, bases that relate in a positive manner with the individual’s sense of

responsibility. However, if the mother-object is unable to survive the baby’s attacks, or

if the mother-environment fails to provide a reliable opportunity for reparation, the

child’s involvement capacity is not developed, giving way to anxiety and crude

defenses.

A landmark for the theoretical production of psychoanalysis was the 2nd

World

War period, when Winnicott was appointed Consultant Psychiatrist for the Government

Evacuation Plan in a region in England. This allowed careful observations of the

situation of children who had been separated from their families. In his book named

Deprivation and Delinquency (1984), Winnicott publishes an article that supports John

Bowlby’s view concerning the separation of small children from their mother,

reinforcing that the mental health of adults is built in childhood and in adolescence, as

the child’s emotional development can be easily disturbed. Still in that same article, the

author draws conclusions, among which the one that “impersonal raising of small

children tends to produce unsatisfactory personalities and even active antisocial

personalities” (page 194). That points to the risk of psychological problems of children

separated from their figures of care, and also of those whose environment does not favor

development. Winnicott considered antisocial behavior in children as a reaction to both

the loss of people who are dear to them and the loss of security.

According to Kelly (1997), continuously employing an interpretative lens that

emphasizes the theory of object relations will allow the specification of different levels

of developmental disturbances within the psychological assessment context.

Observation of the quality of the object relations in a thematic projective technique

driven to children may help understand the relevance of such relations in different

situations of psychological vulnerability.

The Children Apperception Test with animal figures (CAT), created by Leopold

and Sonya Bellak, is a projective technique specifically elaborated for children and that

enables investigation of object relations. As a thematic technique, CAT uses figurative

stimuli from which the child under assessment must tell a story. The stimuli were

elaborated so as to look into the individual differences in facing the usual childhood

challenges considered from a psychoanalytical perspective. (MIGUEL, TOSI, SILVA &

TARDIVO, 2013).

5

Miguel, Tardivo, Silva & Tosi (2013) conducted studies aiming the

standardization and investigation of CAT validity and reliability in Brazil, with quite

favorable results. Such studies ensured approval by the Federal Council of Psychology

for this technique to be used and commercialized in Brazil2.

OBJECTIVE

This paper aims to verify if the analysis system proposed by Tardivo (1998) can

discriminate the presence of significant psychological difficulties from the quality of the

object relations. This system, based on the Theory of Object Relations, was created to

assess object relations as expressed in the CAT. It is intended to investigate if the

interpretative scheme identifies disturbances, at any level, of the object relations

established by children referred for psychodiagnosis, and subsidizes indication of

interventions that may ease its consequences. It is also intended to collaborate with the

literature relative to object relations and its expression in the CAT with Brazilian

samples.

METHOD

Sample

The sample investigated consisted of two groups. Group I was made up of 14

children with different clinical complaints (sexual abuse, hyperactivity, difficulties in

school performance, aggressiveness, fraternal rivalry, reactivity to parents’ separation),

with 7 boys and 7 girls, with ages ranging from 5 to 10 years (average =7.5; standard

deviation =1.28). Group II (control group), was comprised of 20 children with no

complaint, 10 boys and 10 girls, with ages ranging from 5 to 10 years (average = 7.15;

standard deviation = 1.72). Children with suspected severe cognitive problems were

excluded from this study. The protocols used are part of a database created for a

previous study, “General Project for the study of validation of projective techniques

with the Children’s Apperception Test - CAT”, by Montagna et al., to which the paper

provides continuity.

Instrument

2 In Brazil, psychological tests can only be commercialized and used in Brazil after approval by the

Federal Council of Psychology.

6

CAT was used in the investigation of object relations, in compliance with the

Brazilian standards. This technique helps understand the manner in which the child

relates himself/herself with significant figures of his/her life and deal with relevant

impulses. The technique has the psychoanalysis as theoretical reference. The cards show

scenes that were selected considering situations, problems and roles that are important

in a child’s development and life, from that theoretical reference.

Data analysis

Dimensions of the children’s stories were assessed according to the scheme

proposed by Tardivo (1998), elaborated for analysis and statistical treatment of the

stories of common children collected during a study she conducted in 1992. The

analysis categories based on the psychoanalytical theoretical reference, particularly

Melanie Klein’s Theory of Object Relations, were created from the protocols data. The

scheme is reproduced in the Annex.

The frequencies observed in both groups in the categories used were compared.

To verify the existence of significant differences Fisher’s Exact Test was used, a non-

parametric technique employed to compare two independent small size samples

(SIEGEL & CASTELLAN, 2006).

In order to verify the level of interrater agreement, two raters scored the 14

protocols of the clinical group.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Interrater agreement. Of the 105 variables assessed by two raters, 35 presented 0

frequency, thus, not subject to the correlation function. Three other categories presented

a quite satisfactory correlation ratio, from 0.83 to 0.87; three other categories achieved

0.78 agreement. As few as two categories (2RFP and 20a) achieved correlation less than

0.70, however, quite close to that value (0.68). These values show that the analysis

scheme proposed by Tardivo (1998) is reliable concerning interrater agreement.

Comparison between groups. Fisher’s Test revealed significant differences between

groups I and II in the categories assessed by Tardivo’s scheme (1998) in cards 1, 5, 6, 7,

8, 9 and 10, as shown in Table 1.

Table 1. Significant results between groups I and II.

7

Category of Response Card Number of stories Fisher’s

Test

Group I Group II

Gratification (supplier, provider mother) 1 3 14 0,007

Reaction to triangular situation: impossible to cope with (escape from card) 5 8 4 0,031

Dual relation 6 5 0 0,007

Reaction to attack: good defense organization 7 2 10 0,035

Focus on tiger’s attitude: perceived as hostile, chaser 7 10 6 0,02

Relation with the family milieu and with adults: feels included, welcome 8 2 10 0,035

Others 8 7 1 0,004

Reaction to isolation: fear of other animals or men 9 0 5 0,056

Presence of object containing impulses (object as paternal figure) 10 0 7 0,014

The results show that the group with no psychological difficulty complaint,

when compared to the clinical group, presented a significantly higher frequency in the

categories of positive view of the maternal figure, as provider and supplier (card 1).

Precariousness in the object relations in the children with a history of psychological

difficulty is shown by the low frequency of this type of response in the clinical group: 8

out of the group of 14 children, mentioned no relation with the maternal figure in face

of the stimulus, and some didn´t even mention the chicken. This quite significant detail

reinforces the theoretical findings relative to the role of object relations established with

parental figures. Healthy object relations are also indicated by the higher frequency of a

feeling of acceptance by and inclusion in the family milieu (card 8) in the control group.

Half the individuals in the clinical group scored in the category Others, in which the

most frequent stories pointed at absence of interaction among the characters, although

the scene strongly suggests interaction among them. Here, one clearly sees difficulty in

the involvement capacity, fundamental for the individual’s social life, according to

Winnicott (1984). Such capacity is based on a satisfactory relation with the care

provider figure, within the range of satisfaction of the instinctual needs and protection

against the unpredictability of the environment, marked by confidence in the relations

established. Those two categories clearly point at sound object relations that show

confidence in the social environment in terms of support, security and guidance. The

control group also shows more psychological resources, given the greater frequency of

the good organization category in face of attack presented (card 7).

8

On the other hand, the group reporting psychological difficulties presented

greater frequency within the impossibility of dealing with a triangular situation – escape

from the card categories (in card 5), which is reinforced by the higher frequency of the

dual relation category in card 6. Those categories point at a primitive relation with the

object, as they bring to mind the impossible inclusion of a third element into the

relation. Besides that, in card 10, the children in the control group presented 7 responses

in the “presence of object that contains the impulses – paternal figure” category while

those in the clinical group gave no response in this category. These results are consistent

with Winnicott’s view that oedipal issues are part of the general maturation process and

must be experienced in a personal fashion if they are to become part of the individual’s

life (Rosa, 2009). This means that there is a long way to go before one comes to oedipal

experiences. These presume a high level of maturation and imply the fact that the child,

by integrating the conquests in the previous phases, as being his/her own, reaches a unit

identity. If the child fails to achieve the maturity required to be able to relate as a whole

individual with other whole people, it will be impossible for such child to actually

experience the oedipal situation.

Furthermore, on car 7 one observes predominance of focus on the tiger’s

attitude, i.e., on the characteristics of hostility and threat from the environment, as

compared to the resources to face them. As for reaction facing isolation, mobilized by

card 9, the 31a-2 category (fear of other animals or men) comes quite close to the

significance criterion, although not reaching it (criterion = less than 0.050; value

obtained = 0.056) has higher frequency in the control group; on the other hand, in the

clinical group, the response frequency in category 31a-1(fear of fantastic male figures)

is higher than twice the control group responses in such category. It is possible to

assume that the fears raised in the control group are closer to the shared reality as

compared to the ones raised in the clinical group. It should be pointed out that Mary

Haworth identifies the fear of fantastic creatures in stories to the CAT as indicating

Regression, in the category of phobic, immature or disorganized mechanisms, implying

greater abandonment and impotence (MIGUEL, TARDIVO, SILVA & TOSI, 2013).

Thus, precariousness in the organization of defenses and/or fragile defenses can be

noticed, as well as the anxiety involved in face of an attack situation that configures

hostility /persecution – items that do not appear in the control group stories. The

responses given by the children in the clinical group in face of a threatening situation

9

emphasize the lack of internal organization to deal with adversities, since there is no

structure to bear the attack – possibly due to precarious introjection of the good object.

Winnicott (1979) states that the individual, when facing an adverse situation, will not be

able to stand alone and overcome it, unless such individual has experienced the

opportunity, through a sufficiently good mothering, to build a belief in the benign

environment and that such belief cannot be built unless upon repeated and satisfactory

instinctive gratifications.

The data presented show that the children in the clinical group were not offered

an adequate environmental provision. Although one cannot precise the period in which

the environmental failure occurred, it is important to point out that it implied a loss of

confidence in the environment for those children who perceive the threats in a far more

intense way, as compared to the control group children, feeling more vulnerable in that

regard.

Thus, it is observed that in the control group the analysis scheme found children

who express the possibility of gratification from the maternal figure, recognition of the

oedipal triangular situation and feeling of inclusion into the family milieu. On the other

hand, the clinical group showed less interaction with the parental figures, lack of

confidence in the environment and experience of dual relation, showing little maturity

and hindrances in the development process. Those data are consistent with those from

other studies conducted with CAT in Brazil (Tardivo, 2011; Miguel, Tardivo, Silva &

Tosi, 2013). It was also noted that cards 2, 3 and 4 did not differentiate the groups

concerning the object relations. Within this study context, therefore, they are less

sensitive towards the quality of the object relations as assessed by the scheme proposed

by Tardivo (1998).

Although this study is exploratory and limited, given the small size of the

samples and the heterogeneity of the clinical sample, the results achieved were

consistent with Winnicott’s view concerning the relevance of object relations to the

development of a healthy personality. The study showed furthermore that CAT,

interpreted through Tardivo’s scheme (1998), identifies the association between object

relation disorders and the difficulties of adjustment.

CONCLUSION

10

This paper aimed to investigate the adequacy of the analysis scheme proposed

by Tardivo (1998) to differentiate deviating clinical configurations based on the quality

of the object relations as assessed by CAT. The study showed a high level of interrater

agreement concerning the scores assigned to the various categories proposed. It also

found that the interpretative scheme identified aspects consistent with healthy object

relations in the control group and with some level of disturbance of object relations in

the group of children with adjustment difficulties.

Although limited, given the small size of the samples studied, this study points at

promising research paths that may help to better understand object relations in different

clinical configurations and expand the literature in regard to CAT applications

psychometric properties and range.

REFERENCES

MIGUEL, A.; TARDIVO, L.; SILVA, M. C. V. M.; TOSI, S. (2013). Teste de

Apercepção Infantil: figuras de animais. Adaptação Brasileira. São Paulo: Vetor

Editora Psicopedagógica.

KELLY, F. D. (1997) The assessment of object relations phenomena in adolescents:

TAT and Rorshach measures. London: Routledge, 2009.

LAPLANCHE, J. (1982) Vocabulário da Psicanálise: Laplanche e Pontalis. 4ª edição.

São Paulo: Martins Fontes, 2001.

OGDEN, T. H. (2003) Uma nova leitura das origens da teoria das relações de objeto.

Alter – Jornal de Estudos Psicanalíticos, Brasília, 22(2), 175-195, dez 2003.

SIEGEL S, CASTELLAN Jr NJ. Estatística não-paramétrica para ciências do

comportamento. 2ª edição. São Paulo: Bookman, 2006.

ROSA, CLAUDIA DIAS. O papel do pai no processo de amadurecimento em

Winnicott. Nat. hum., São Paulo , v. 11, n. 2, fev. 2009 . Disponível em

<http://pepsic.bvsalud.org/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1517-

24302009000200003&lng=pt&nrm=iso>. accessed July 30, 2015.

SUMMERS, F. (1994) Object relations theories and psychopathology: a comprehensive

text. Hillsdale, NJ: The Analytic Press, 1994.

TARDIVO, L. (1998) O Teste de Apercepção Infantil e o Teste das Fábulas de Düss.

ed. São Paulo, Vetor Editora Psicopedagógica, 1998.

_______________. (2011) Investigações e intervenção no contexto da violência

doméstica contra crianças e adolescentes: propostas do APOIAR, in Anais da IX

11

Jornada APOIAR: violência doméstica e trabalho em rede compartilhando

experiências: Brasil, Argentina, Chile e Portugal, realizada em 18 de novembro de

2011, em São Paulo, SP, Brasil / organizado por Leila Salomão de La Plata Cury

Tardivo. - São Paulo: IPUSP, 2011.

WINNICOTT, D. W. (1984) Privação e delinquência, 5ª edição, São Paulo: Martins

Fontes, 2012.

_________________. (1987) Os bebês e suas mães, 4 ª edição, São Paulo: Martins

Fontes, 2013.

12

ANNEX A

Analysis reference for the CAT according to Tardivo (1992, 1998)

Card 1

1 – Relation with the Maternal Figure:

1a - Dependence:

1a-1) growth inhibitor

1a-2) Growth Driving Force

1b – Independence

1b-1) realistic

1b-2) magical, omnipotent

1c – Hostility, attack

1d – Reparation of attacks, of guilt

1e – Gratification

1f – Identification

1g – Incorporation

2 – Relation with the Paternal Figure

3 – Relation with combined figure – non dissociation, merger of paternal figures,

primitive experience of the early Oedipal Complex, common in the first year of life

(Klein, 1981).

4 – Relation with Fraternal Figures

4a – Rivalry, competition, conflict

4b – Cooperation, comprehension

5 – Others

Card 2

6 –Dual Relation (no inclusion of third element)

7 – Oedipal Relation (characters identified as parents, or differentiated by size)

7a) Conflict experienced in a ludic form

7b) Conflict experienced in a destructive form

7c) Identification

7c-1) figure of the same sex

7c-2) figure of the opposite sex

8 – Relationship with Other Figures (friends, siblings, acquaintances, etc.)

8a) Presence of the conflict experienced in a ludic form (playful game)

8b) Presence of the conflict experienced in a destructive form (fight, attack,

defense)

9 – Others

Card 3

10 – Relationship with the Paternal Figure (as the figure of power and authority):

10a) Submission

10b) Child’s fear in face of the figure 10c) Hostility, attack, depreciation, envy of the child in face of the figure

10d) Reparation (due to the attack)

10e) “Smartness in dealing with threats”

10 f) Cooperation, friendship

10 g) Other aspects of the paternal figure

13

11 – Relation with the Maternal Figure (as the figure of power and authority):

11a) Submission

11b) Child’s fear in face of the figure

11c) Hostility, attack, depreciation, envy of the child in face of the figure

11d) Reparation (due to the attack)

11e) “Smartness in dealing with threats”

11f) Cooperation, friendship

11g) Other aspects of the paternal figure

Card 4

12 – Relation with the maternal Figure:

12a) Dependence

12b) Independence

12c) Hostility

12d) Reparation

12e) Gratification (mother that provides, protects from danger)

12f) Identification

13 – Relation with the Fraternal Figure

13a) Rivalry, jealousy, competition

13b) cooperation, union

14 – Child’s emotional reaction experienced presently:

14a) Feeling pleasure, leisure, ride

14b) Feeling threat anxiety

14 b- 1) Confrontation, solution

14 b- 2) Escape, absence of solution

15 – Others

Card 5

16 – Reaction of the child in face of triangular situation:

16a) Impossibility of coping with the situation (escape from the card,

rejection, illogical story)

16b) Regressive responses, back to dual relation, with oral needs, no

inclusion of the third element

16c) Hostility, attack to parents’ union, envy

16d) Feeling of abandonment, helplessness in face of the parents’ union

16e) More realistic approach, showing greater independence

17 – Child relationship with the Fraternal Figure

17a) Rivalry, jealousy, competition

17b) Cooperation, friendship

18 – Others

Card 6

19 – Dual relation, no inclusion of the third element

20 – Relation in face of the triangular situation

20a) Regressive responses, with attempts to return to the dual relationship,

and oral needs

20b) Hostility, attack, envy of parents’ relationship

20c) Feeling of abandonment, depression, helplessness in face of the parents’

relationship

20d) More realistic acceptance, showing independence and search of growth

14

21 – Others

Card 7

22 – Reaction in face of attack (focus on the monkey’s attitude)

22a) Impossibility of coping with attack, helplessness, lack of protection

22b) Good organization of defenses, skill, “smartness”

22c) Denial of danger, omnipotence

22d) Provocation, hostility

22e) Disdain concerning the one that attacks

22 f) Others

23 – Relationship with the male figure (as the figure that attacks)

24 – Relationship with the female figure (as the figure that attacks)

25 – Focus on the attitude of the tiger perceived as:

25a) Hostile, chaser

25b) Threatening

25c) Cooperative

25d) Others

Card 8

26 – Relationship with the family milieu

26a) Feels included, welcome, understood

26b) Feels excluded

26b- 1) Feels abandoned

26b- 2) Reacts with aggressive attitudes

26b- 3) Is punished

27 – Relationship with paternal figure

27 a) Acceptance, identification, projection

27 b) Fight, hostility, non acceptance, opposition

28 – Relationship with the Maternal Figure

28 a) Acceptance, identification, protection

28 b) Fight, hostility, non acceptance, opposition

29 – Oedipic Triangular Relation

29a) Return to dual relationship

29b) Hostility, attack, envy of parents’ union

29c) Abandonment, depression, helplessness in face of the parents’

relationship

29d) More realistic acceptance, showing independence and search of growth

29e) Other aspects

30 – Others

Card 9

31 – Reaction to isolation

31a) Fear of

31a-1) Fantastic male figures

31a-2) Other animals or men

31a-3) Being destroyed or killed (for being alone, with no objects that

meet his needs)

31b) Abandonment, sadness

31c) Independence, self-sufficiency, desire to grow

32 – Relationship with the Maternal Figure

15

32a) Acceptance, protection

32b) Hostility, non-acceptance, opposition, not to feel restrained*

33 – Relation with the Paternal Figure

33a) Acceptance, protection

33b) Hostility, non-acceptance

*Predominance of hostility and, as a result, persecutory anxieties in the attachment with

the maternal figure that, in this case, is experienced more as en evil object than a good

one. Thus, the ego does not rely on an object that can help the child cope with his/her

anxieties.

Card 10

34 – Reaction to social rules, to discipline

34a) Acceptance

34b) Opposition

34b-1) Reacts actively, fights against

34b-2) Surrenders

35 – Presence of Impulses

35a) Uncontrolled impulses– lack of an object to restrain them, lack of

limits

35b) Presence of Object that restrains the impulses

35b-1) Object as maternal figure

35b-2) Object as paternal figure

35c) Guilt for the manifestation of impulses – fear of losing the beloved

object through destructivity (depression guilt)

35d) Punishment – fear of being attacked by the object due to his/her

impulses